The Legends of Avatar
by randomlvr1
Summary: I will tell a new tale today. One of adventures in a far off mystical world, of evil ruling all, of hope being destroyed then restored, and of what simple peasants or great rulers can all do to save their world of peace. It is the legend of 'Avatar'..."


_Yay! I got my new Avatar fic out!...Really, I don't have much to say, other than there will be a lot more chapters and this fic has absolutely no pairings. Yup, that means no shipping wars on this front. Anyway, enjoy!_

_**Note:** This story takes place in the early 13th century when Mongols, lead by Ghengis Khan, started to invade China._

_Vocabulary: _

_Ba ba - father_

_Ye ye- grandfather on father's side_

* * *

The black void of the expanse of space known as the night sky looked so daunting this night. Only the faint, sparkling of the stars that were peppered across the blackness brought light to the Earth; the moon was hiding it's glowing face from all sky could be categorized as anything but ominous or foreboding. Although, the darkness could usually be cause of unnerve, tonight was the first nightfall of the new year; another twelve complete cycles of the moon had come and passed.

In this small village, nestled comfortably between the mountains of northern China, today had been a day of festivities and celebration of the coming of a new year. Copious amounts of red and gold had flocked the streets and houses, enticing smells of home-cooked feasts had wafted through the air day in and out, drums, cymbals, and other blaring, yet familiar, instruments created a tune that danced throughout the village, and families held rare gatherings filled with eating, drinking, and laughter in this annual holiday.

Yet, in the mist of all of this euphoria, an air of anxiety and dread managed to put a small strain on every adults' smile. Though it was a day of rare celebration, they couldn't keep the horrific news out of their minds; Genghis Khan was invading China.

Actually, the Mongols had been invading China for over ten years now, but it was only recently that the inhabitants of this small village had given any consideration on the matter. Every day, the Mongols crept closer to the valley where the village was placed in. Yet, no one was willing to leave the village in fear of becoming just another starving beggar on the streets of a big city. Sure, life was hard in their hometown, but they were able to make a decent, honorable living and to have a piece of land and a home to their names.

Even so, everyone was still hurting. Traders rarely ventured in this direction, so imported goods were an extreme luxury and it was getting more difficult to make a good profit on their grown crops, crops they had strained under the sun for and watered with the sweat off their own backs. Even the nobles were feeling the strain; they were losing more money every day, and not enough was being funneled back into their pockets.

In an effort to keep everyone calm and relatively happy, the adults had left their children ignorant to the danger looming at them on the horizon, preferring to shoulder all the stress themselves. Yet, this plan was flawed. If anyone had actually considered the matter, then they would have known that the children would have found out one way or another. Still, the gesture was appreciated.

One of the few adults that did not worry over the looming crisis was an old, greying, wise man who was, at this moment, poised under the canopy of a blooming plum blossom tree, star-gazing on the cloudless, chilling night. He breathed a sigh of contentment as he relived similar moments of his life in his mind; a distant, yet mirthful, spark in his eyes. He seemed to be becoming one with the universe and heavens when a young man hesitantly shuffled up behind him and gently place a hand on his shoulder.

He suddenly jerked out of his meditative revere, snapping his head over his shoulder to face the awaiting man.

The old man released an exasperated sigh, one that could almost classify as a groan, as the man begun, "I'm sorry to bother you, Ba Ba, but would you mind coming inside and entertaining the children with one of your tales? They're getting restless."

"So, in other words, you would like me to distract them as you and the other adults gossip about the invasion?" the old man stated calmly as he turned his gaze back to the stars.

"No! Of course not, honorable Ba Ba, it's just...you know children," the young man muttered, wringing his hands in embarrassment.

"Of course I know children, all of us were one at one point - even if we try to deny it," the old man murmured coolly as he turned his back to the glittering stars and sauntered to the lighted house.

As he crossed the large, ornate threshold into the house, he was greeted by several young children rushing forward to hug their aging Ye Ye. Chuckling, he gently shook off the shrieking children, and sauntered over to a large, bamboo chair that was located in the center of the sitting room. He happily glanced at everyone in the room, from the oldest, gossiping teenagers to the youngest, playful child and sighed happily at the good fortune of having such a large, prosperous family.

"Children!" Ye Ye called, clapping his hands in an effort to gain his grand children's attention. "Gather around me! I shall retell a great legend to you!"

Most of the children squealed in pleasure and immediately crowded around their Ye Ye, but the older children, the ones that had grown out of such childish pleasures, stuck their noses up indignantly and returned to their previous conversations.

"Ye Ye, we're not children. In fact, I'm going off to join the army next week!" one of the teenagers snorted. "Besides, we could just get one of the servants to entertain us."

"But I am still your elder, Pan, and you will listen to me," Ye Ye commanded, sitting erectly in his seat. "And people of any age can enjoy a good story telling!"

Huffing in annoyance, the youths joined their younger counterparts and gathered around Ye Ye, sitting on the ground with as much pride as they could muster up. Eyeing the teenagers cautiously, Ye Ye took released a calming breath.

"What legend are you going to tell us this time, Ye Ye?!" one of the younger children eagerly blurted out, his eyes wide with excitement and wonder. "Is it 'The Monkey King' or 'Epic of Darkness'?!"

"No, Wei," Ye Ye chuckled, patting the young boy's shoulder. "I will tell a new tale today. One of adventures in a far off mystical world, of evil ruling all, of hope being destroyed then restored, and of what simple peasants or great rulers can all do to save their world of peace. It is the legend of 'Avatar: The Last Airbender...'"

By this time, the younger children were leaning forward in anticipation and fascination, and even the teenagers had relaxed their stubborn positions to divert all their attention to the legend that was being woven.

"Long ago, in a world not too unlike ours, the gods created three animals, animals that were entirely unlike ours and could each bend one of three elements; air, earth, and fire. The two water gods deliberated on leaving the art of controlling water to the moon and ocean," Ye Ye dramatically retold, his hands motioning with his words. "The six gods ruled over all of the spirits, entities, and creatures in that varied world, yet still, they were becoming bored of the predictable nature of everything; they needed something new to rule over, something unpredictable and untamed..."

_~avatar~avatar~avatar~_

_"Just because you're bored, doesn't mean you should create a new species for your entertainment!" Wong Dai exasperatedly tried to explain to the other gods, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "We're the ones that are supposed to look after the world and keep peace between everything, but you want to make a species that could destroy all of that just because you're _bored_!"_

_"Yes, exactly," Agni stated simply, his arms crossed over his red clad chest in a stubborn gesture. "We were all destined to rule, but where's the fun in that if all you're ruling is animals and docile spirits? And, of course the new species wouldn't destroy the world; we will be able to control them to a certain point."_

_"Besides, just because you can bend all four elements while we can only bend one each doesn't mean you're the king here; we can do whatever we please!" Kami growled, his green eyes narrowing at Wong Dai._

_"I'm not saying that you can't," Wong Dai reassured calmly, trying his best to fill the large, extragavent meeting room with an air of calm, "I'm just explaining the logic you're trying to make and how flawed your plan is."_

_"There is nothing wrong with our plan!" La snapped, jumping out of his ornate, gold and blue flecked seat angrily. "And don't act all high and mighty as if you wouldn't want to rule this new species, because we all know that you would!"_

_Glancing at her comrade calmly, Tui placed a gentle, manicured hand on La's shoulder and pushed him into his seat,"Hush, La. Wong Dai is just trying to make peace; there is no need to get angry and petty."_

_La grumbled some incoherent words under his breath as he sat in his seat, fuming silently._

_"If we have as much control over the new species as Tui has over La, then we would all be in good shape," Agni joked as he smirked at La's submissive form._

_La made a motion to jump out of his seat again, but Tui was quick to grab his arm and pull him back down. This caused a round of snickers to burst out from Agni and a small chuckle from Kami, but one deathly cold glance from Tui immediately silenced the chuckling gods._

_Wong Dai rubbed his temple exasperatedly as he sighed heavily, "Since I cannot convince you to abandon your plan, I'll just have to become one of the new species so I can keep the peace there; the peace you seem determined to disrupt."_

_"What?!" Agni, Kami, and La gasped, their features obviously shocked._

_"You would dare shirk your responsibilities as a god so you can go frolic amongst the new species?!" Agni accused, pointing an accusing finger at Wong Dai._

_"No, of course not!" Wong Dai snapped back indignantly. "I would just be carrying out my duties to maintain the peace amongst them!"_

_"And what if you are killed, or your soul is stolen?!" La reasoned, his features shocked and livid. "What will become of us and the rest of the universe?!"_

_"Hush La! Wong Dai is trying to compromise to our request to create a new species!" Tui snapped, clamping her hand over La's mouth._

_"I see no need for compromise!" La blurted, yanking Tui's hand away from his mouth. "It's not as if he is ruling _us_!"_

_"Tui, it almost seems like you find his rationale logical," Kami noted, raising an eyebrow at the moon goddess._

_"I'll do more than agree with him; I'd join him! I find his plan most brilliant; a wonderful way for us to learn how the rule the new species," Tui stated, nodding her head. "Though, I would never want to be one of the new species..."_

_"You're both insane!" La fumed, jumping out of his seat once more and glancing between Tui and Wong Dai as if they had just sprouted feathered wings and flown out through the window. "And do not expect me to go along with this...this...suicide mission!"_

_"For once, I agree with La," Kami agreed, glancing warily at Tui and Wong Dai._

_"You men are just thick-headed," Tui huffed exasperatedly._

_"Then what does that make Wong Dai; a woman?" Agni snickered, smirking at the exasperated Wong Dai._

_Ignoring the fire god's snide and childish remark, Tui turned to the silent member of their 'discussion', "Fong, what do you think of this situation? You seem to be the calmest and most logical of all of us."_

_The air goddess, at that moment, had been meditating quietly in a corner in the room when Tui had interrupted her thoughts. Without opening her eyes or shuffling her orange and gold robes, she answered, "Do whatever you please, as long as it does not disrupt the delicate balance of nature and the universe."_

_"But leaving your post as god is disrupting the universe and nature!" Agni accused, an accusing finger pointed at Wong Dai._

_"And creating a rampant species is also disrupting the universe and nature!" Wong Dai countered._

_"It seems like Wong Dai has offered up a sensible compromise, and I suggest that the rest of you agree to the terms. That, or abandon your plan of creating a new species entirely," Fong stated simply, graciously enjoying the still silence that followed after._

_~avatar~avatar~avatar~_

"...So what happened next?!" one of the young girls exclaimed, impatient for Ye Ye to continue with the story. "Did the gods compromise?! Did they create the new species?! What was the new species?!"

"Slow down, Lei," Ye Ye chuckled, shaking his head slightly in amusement. "I was just pausing for dramatics."

"We've had enough drama now! What happened next?!" Lei continued exclaiming.

Ye Ye smiled fondly at Lei as he continued, "Very well, very well. So, after Fong's wise suggestion, the gods decided that they would do as originally planned and create the new species, but with the compromise; Wong Dai would live with the humans as one of them and continue his duties as peacemaker. Tui and La also joined the realm of mortals to watch over their people, but instead they took the form of elegant koi fish."

"But what did the new species look like?!" one of the young boys blurted out in excitement, his wides eye shining with curiosity and amazement. "Did they had serpentine tails, or feathery wings sprouting from their backs?!"

Ye Ye gave a the child a mockingly stern look before continuing with his tale, "I was about to tell you, Chen. The new species looked exactly like us; they were humans too! In fact, the gods had modeled the new species after themselves."

"Anyway, each of the gods, excluding Wong Dai, gave their own selected group of humans specific qualities; Fong gave her people spiritual enlightenment and a peaceful nature, Kami bestowed upon his people the ability to be strong, tough and able to handle whatever was thrown in their path, Agni created a hot-blooded and authoritative people that were blessed in leadership qualities, but hungered for power, and Tui and La created a gentle, loving people that had a strong sense of community and family."

"As the gods had wanted, the new humans were an unpredictable and wild bunch, but it was nothing that the gods and Wong Dai could not handle. Yet, the gods were in for a great shock when the humans began learning the art of bending elements from the very element bending animals they had created so long ago!"

Ye Ye paused expectantly as he listened to a collective gasp pass through the room, an amused expression plastered on his face. He now had the rapt attention of every pair of eyes and ears, some of these also sporting dropped jaws or arched eyebrows.

A gentle smile tugging at his lips from the sight of the innocent faces, he continued, "Initially, they were appalled and furious; they had never intended for the humans to become so powerful and provide such a threat to the gods! But, as time went by, the gods became overjoyed and fascinated that their art of bending had been passed on.

"Everything was going smoothly, well as smoothly as humans can run, until the day that the Fire Nation's leader's, hunger for power became insatiable; as insatiable as a dehydrated, dying man's desire for water. The man's name was Sozin, a name alone that bursted with authority."

"So, with a few simple, yet entrancing, words and several years, Sozin invaded the land of Kami's people, the earthbenders. And all of this took place right under the nose of the initial peacemaker, Wong Dai, or, known in that lifetime as, Avatar Roku. And though Avatar Roku did have the power to stop this heinous plot, he acted too late and was murdered by Sozin..."

_~avatar~avatar~avatar~_

_"It's your fault! It's always your fault!" Kami roared, slamming the grand meeting table with his fists in rage and frustration and his piercing glare fixed on a seething Agni. "Your people started this war! Your people were thirsty for power and bloodshed! You yourself was even the one who suggested that we create the new species! It must have been your plot to overthrow the rest of the gods and become the single tyrant!"_

_Indigently outraged, Agni jumped from his golden perch and also slammed his fists down on the surface of the glossy surface of the table, yelling, "I did no such thing! Because, as you know, we have very limited control over the humans! They do as they please; so I have nothing to do with this upheaval!"_

_"STOP!" Wong Dai suddenly burst out, showing none of the earlier weariness he had shouldered. "We must talk this over and prevent it from becoming any worse, not rip at each others throats! We are gods! We have a duty, and it does not include this...this bickering!"_

_"And do not get me started with you!" Kami snapped, diverting his raging rampage to the Avatar. "YOU were supposed to be the one to prevent this!"_

_"But the rest of you were the ones to create humans in the first place!" Wong Dai rebutted, forgetting his earlier lecture about 'talking things over'. "Do not put all the fault on me!"_

_"Where is Tui and La?" Fong suddenly interrupted, being the only calm person in the room._

_"They are in ignorant bliss because they no longer will join us in our meetings; they have all but detached themselves from the Spirit World, leaving only the message that they will come when it is truly necessary," Kami scoffed with an undertone of disgust and rage. "If you ask me, they are just shirking they responsibilities!"_

_"But, I was not asking for your opinion, now was I?" Fong countered simply. "I suggest that we all do our best to control our own humans, let Wong Dai do his peacemaking work, and let the rest take its course. Everything neccessary will eventually come."_

_"Why should we listen to you?!" Kami growled, evidently irritated by Fong's tranquility. "You always side with Wong Dai!"_

_"What did I say that could have possibly agreed with Wong Dai?" Fong hissed out, her composure now being harder to keep._

_"Everyone, just calm down!" Wong Dai interjected, since regaining his calmness. "The more time we spend bickering, the less we have to stop the humans from tearing each other apart. Let us adjourn this meeting so that I may be reborn into the next human in the cycle and, hopefully, stop the warring."_

_"You are, once again, shirking your responsibilities!" Kami accused. "You do nothing with your role as 'peace-making Avatar'; we must find a real solution!"_

_"I am doing what I can," Wong Dai hissed, throwing a cold glare at Kami._

_For a few, tense moments, the air was frozen with the hatred passed between Kami and Wong Dai. They glared each other down, as if willing for the other to melt helplessly into a pathetic puddle before their eyes, yet nothing but looks were passed between the pair._

_Suddenly, Wong Dai stood up staighter, keeping his icy glare on Kami, while he stated in his most commanding, detached voice, "The meeting is now adjourned."_

_He turned on his heel and strode out silently, his actions quick and sharp. Kami's eyes never left Wong Dai until the moment he turned the corner, out of sight. Directing his angry gaze to the ground, Kami muttered angry curses under his breath and marched out of the room, just as calmly as his predecessor._

_Agni, satisfied he had not been accused any further, sat down in this throne with a content huff._

_"You men will never get anything accomplished," Fong sighed exasperatedly, sweeping out of the room quietly._


End file.
